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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25261309">Simon In The Bathroom</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/whereyoustand/pseuds/whereyoustand'>whereyoustand</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Ultimate Sidemen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Men Crying, Panic Attacks, Platonic Relationships, Song: Michael in the Bathroom (Be More Chill)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 06:48:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,340</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25261309</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/whereyoustand/pseuds/whereyoustand</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"I didn't know you were here," JJ said, eyebrows furrowed.</p><p>"I wasn't invited." Simon shrugged.</p><p>OR</p><p>Simon gets ditched by his one friend at a party, now he’s crying in the bathroom</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Simon Minter &amp; Olajide "JJ" Olatunji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Simon In The Bathroom</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p></p><div class="">
  <p></p>
  <div class="">
    <p>Simon didn't expect his Saturday night to include him sneaking into the party at one of the biggest houses he'd ever seen. He tried his best to blend in and to try to find his best friend in the sea of drunk people. He continued to avoid everyone the best he could as he searched for his best friend.</p>
  </div>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon quickly noticed him in the sea of people sat a few meters away. Simon watched wearily, fighting the instinct to go and slap JJ's face for even thinking about hanging around those people. JJ excused himself from the table, smiling politely before exiting the room and walking up the stairs. Simon followed, trying his best not to look creepy as he waited for JJ outside the bathroom.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The door opened and immediately Simon was face to face with a startled JJ.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Can we talk?" Simon begged.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>JJ looked around, hesitating slightly as he whispered, "Okay."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon smiled walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I didn't know you were here," JJ said, eyebrows furrowed.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I wasn't invited." Simon shrugged.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>JJ was about to speak but Simon swiftly cut him off.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"But that's not important. JJ, what's going on? You've been ignoring me." He asked. "Did I do something?" He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at his best friend.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You didn't do anything," JJ stated firmly.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Well, it sure feels like I did!" Simon retorted. "I looked into the management. Jide, you need to get out of there, I talked to a guy who used to work with them - he's in therapy now. We can find a loophole in the contract or-"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Can't you just be happy for me?" JJ snapped. "I've worked hard for this."</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'm not saying you haven't, Jide, but they're manipulating you!"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"They're helping me!" JJ exclaimed. "It's my life, Simon. And you know what? I don't think I want you part of it anymore." And with that, JJ turned and ran out the door. Simon stared at the door before quickly walking towards it and locking the door.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It felt as though someone had suddenly broken every one of his ribs and stabbed them into his heart. He slid down the door, slowly sitting down and resting his head between his knees.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon felt so lonely in the small bathroom despite one of the biggest parties he's ever sneaked into going on a room away. What happened to him and JJ against the world? He hadn't done anything wrong had he? So, why was Simon feeling the loneliest he's felt in a long time? His only friend had just ditched him, for a shitty management company. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon in the bathroom at a party, he didn't know how much time had passed. He was no longer Simon and JJ, it was Simon. He was just Simon in the bathroom, all alone.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon hugged his knees when he heard five fast knocks on the door.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He ignored them, too submerged in his sadness. The knocks started again.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"No, you can't come in!" Simon exclaimed at the knocks.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Other people need to use the bathroom you know!" The girl yelled back.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'm on my period," Simon replied, making his voice slightly higher pitched. He cursed himself for the shitty excuse.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Oh. Take your time." The girl said, kinder this time, her heels signalling her exit.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon sighed and grieved the friendship that quickly got flushed away. He didn't understand how fifteen years of friendship could be thrown away so quickly. Thrown away for a dodgy management company who told JJ to never talk to his friends and family again.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon needed to leave this shitty party as soon as possible because he didn't know if he could handle the people questioning who he was and why he was at the party. He wanted to go home, just sit in his room and watch some shitty horror movie.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He went to reach for the door handle when he heard JJ's loud laugh echo into his ears. His hand froze and Simon backed away from the door and slid down the wall. JJ was having fun with people ten times cooler than Simon and had no guilt towards how shit he made his long time friend. Simon was officially alone.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon felt tears escape when he heard the familiar opening notes to Whitney Houston's song. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on something to ground him, whether it was the small droplets escaping the leaky tap or the lyrics to the song that Simon loved dearly.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I wanna dance with somebody." He sang quietly, the sound leaving a sour taste in Simon's mouth.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I wanna dance with somebody!" He heard a drunk girl sing poorly as she walked past the door. Her singing was completely off-key and mismatched Simon's sadness. Simon would normally laugh at the sound of drunk singing but now it just made him want to cry harder, the memory of him and JJ only a few months ago radiating in his brain.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon didn't know if he regretted the beers or not. If he had drunk more then maybe he could forget the interaction altogether. Why hadn't it gone smoothly as Simon had imagined? He choked on a sob.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'll blame it on the weed or something," Simon whispered to himself as he saw his red eyes and wet cheeks. He wiped at his eyes roughly, desperate to stop being so vulnerable to his reflection.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Knock, knock, knock, knock.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon knew whoever was at the door would start yelling at him soon and he desperately wanted them to leave as soon as possible.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Knock, knock knock, knock.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"I'll be out soon!" Simon exclaimed, his voice cracks but he doesn't acknowledge it.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon pulled at his hair, no one could find him like this, a mess on someone's bathroom floor. Ditched by his only friend.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon had been ditched by the one person who knew of his constant battle between himself.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Clang, clang, clang, clang.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon could suddenly hear the pipes in the house and all the water running through them. He felt like a balloon about to burst.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Bang, bang, bang, bang.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon shouldn't have shown up. He shakily runs to the sink and turns on the tap.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He should have never gone to the party.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Splash.</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Water made its way down Simon's face and he felt as though he could finally breathe. He made his way to the door when he realised there wasn't any knocking anymore.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon desperately wished that he never convinced JJ to take the management opportunity because now it had turned and slapped him in the face. Simon was going to be alone forever because he encouraged a bad choice. Simon looked at himself in the mirror. Oh, how he wished he wasn't alone in his reflection. But there was no denying it, he was alone.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon was alone at the party he hadn't even been invited to. He broke into a sob. Simon pulled at his hair, trying desperately to calm down. Why didn't he just stay home and watch porn or something? Why did he have to come to this stupid party? Why was he even born? Simon felt embarrassment flow through his veins as he looked at himself in the mirror. </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>'Loner, stoner, the fucking awkward guy who drives a shitty Audi.' Simon thought bitterly. 'That's all I am to them. A loser. I'm Simon in the bathroom by himself. None of them know who I am, they just think I'm a loner.'</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Simon opened the door to the bathroom and sped walked to the door before a hand grabbed him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"Hey, Simon, right?" Simon made eye contact with Josh. "You enjoying the party?"</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>"You don't know anything about me. It's fucking awesome party. I'm so glad I came." Simon felt tears burn in the back of his eyes. Simon pulled his wrist from Josh's s grip and walked out of the house.</p>
</div>
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